Donald Trump blasted the FBI's raid of his Mar a Lago home, labelled Joe Biden an "enemy of the state," and hinted at another run for the White House during an boisterous rally speech in the key election state of Pennsylvania.
The 76-year-old spoke for two hours in his first appearance since his Florida home was searched by authorities last month, calling it "one of the most shocking abuses of power by any administration in American history" and warned that it would produce "a backlash the likes of which nobody has ever seen."
The former President revealed that his 16-year-old son's room had also been turned upside down by the FBI, which he claimed is trying to "destroy our country" and whose leaders have become "vicious monsters controlled by radical left scoundrels, lawyers, and the media who tell them what to do."
Court filings reveal that more than 11,000 papers, including Top Secret files, were found in storage containers at Mr Trump's residence, but he denies mishandling government documents after leaving office.
At a packed rally in Wilkes-Barre, just half an hour south of Scranton - where Mr Biden was born, Mr Trump also hit back at claims that he and his supporters were undermining democracy, branding Mr Biden an "enemy of the state."
On Thursday night, Mr Biden stood in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the declaration of independence was signed in 1776, and said: "Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.
"They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies," he added.
Mr Trump last night slammed it as the "most vicious, hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president."
"He's an enemy of the state. You want to know the truth. The enemy of the state is him," Mr Trump said, sparking a cacophony of cheers from his self-styled "Ultra MAGA" supporters - many of whom had queued for more than six hours in the hot sun to get a seat inside the 8,500 seat Mohegan Sun arena.
Some wore t-shirts emblazoned with obscenities about Mr Biden, while others paid homage to "God, guns and Trump." Pro-life leafletters made their way down the queue.
Despite continuing to trumpet the baseless claim that the 2020 election was "stolen," Mr Trump said: "Republicans in the MAGA movement are not the ones trying to undermine our democracy."
"The danger to democracy comes from the radical left, not from the right," he added, to rapturous applause.
The crowd was animated all evening, but the biggest cheer came when he once again hinted at a run for the Presidency.
"I ran twice. I won twice. I did better the second time than I did the first. We got millions more votes. The largest number of votes of any sitting president in history.
"I may just have to do it again."
The rally had been organised to bolster Dr Mehmet Oz - the heart surgeon-turned television personality-turned candidate for Senate and Doug Mastriano, the GOP's hard-line nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania.
While they made brief appearances on stage, Mr Trump used his platform to once again settle scores.
Over the course of his meandering speech, he variously targeted Nancy Pelosi, China, Hillary Clinton, drug dealers, electric cars, renewable energy, Mark Zuckerberg and trans women competing in women's sports.
While Mr Trump gallantly asked: "Is there any better place to be on a beautiful Saturday evening than a trump rally?" the audience had thinned out considerably by the time he finished speaking, just past 9:30pm.
His motorcade left the arena just seven minutes later.
For Republicans in Pennsylvania, his appearance was needed to galvanise flagging campaigns for the senate and governors races.
An Emerson College poll released last week showed Dr Oz trailing by four percentage points to his Democrat rival John Fetterman.
The governor's race - between Mr Mastriano and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is closer, with Mr Trump last night saying that they were "neck and neck."
The fact that this rally took place in Wilkes-Barre was no coincidence. Though in the swing state of Pennsylvania, the nearby city of Scranton is a jewel in the Democrat crown.
It is where Joe Biden was born and spent his childhood. There is a Biden Street and the Joseph R. Biden Jr expressway. It is also where Hillary Clinton's parents lived.
But the political mood has changed here lately, the Telegraph found.
"I didn't vote for Biden," said Louis, a taxi driver who served in the armed forces before relocating to the north-east.
"He's a socialist and I'm a capitalist."
Even his son running for public office as a Democrat in Pennsylvania couldn't persuade him to go blue.
"I don't like where this country is headed," he said, adding that petrol prices are "out of control."
Jennie, a mother-of-two working on a food stall at Scranton's annual Italian festival, did vote for Mr Biden, but feels let down.
"I liked the guy and I liked that he's from here," she said.
"But it's not going well. I'm not saying I want to vote for Trump, but I don't see how Biden is moving the country forwards."
Mr Trump - in apparent full election mode - insisted he did have a plan, and that "In 2024, most importantly, we are going to take back our magnificent White House."
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